Episode Title: The War Against Puerto Rico Continues
Guest: Monisha Rios, a Puerto Rican psychologist and social worker, joins us live from Puerto Rico
Political and economic tensions within the U.S.-occupied Latin American & Caribbean nation of Puerto Rico have resulted in another major uprising, led this time by teachers and other workers in the public sector. A national strike is scheduled for the 18th of February. This has come after a teacher fell asleep at the wheel when leaving his 3rd job and died in a car crash. https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/02/07/prteachersstrike/
A bit of background:
In 2016, U.S. Congress imposed a Financial Oversight & Management Board (FOMB) as part of the Puerto Rican Oversight, Management, & Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) to rule its colony and impose IMF-style austerity measures to pay off an illegal debt. This came at the request of the current PNP Gov. Pierluisi when he was the Resident Commissioner under PDP Gov. Padilla. Since then, there have been numerous protests and a massive uprising (with features of a color revolution) that forced the resignation of then Governor Roselló of the Statehood party (PNP). Protests against the austerity measures have begun again in response to the FOMB's actions. The FOMB has been headed by none other than Natalie Jaresko, former Ukrainian Minister of Finance (2014-2016) who implemented the "largest IMF program in the institution's history" the impact of which severely harmed the Ukrainian people. In 2017, she was sent to Puerto Rico to do the same as Executive Director & Interim Revitalization Coordinator of the FOMB.
In partnership with Friends of Latin America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas, original broadcasts of WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean can be viewed every Wednesday at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on CODEPINK YouTube Live
